June 23, 2015.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.
Making headlines:

Gwede Mantashe says the International Criminal Court is dangerous, and South Africa should withdraw from it.

The European Union warns of sanctions over violence in the Burundi crisis.

And, Transnet secures a R2.8-billion loan from Germany’s KfW Development Bank. 

African National Congress (or ANC) Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said the International Criminal Court (or ICC) is "dangerous" and South Africa should withdraw from it. He was defending the government's decision not to arrest indicted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

President Jacob Zuma's government and the ANC have come under fire for allowing Bashir, who faces charges of genocide at the court, to slip out of South Africa through a military air base after attending an African Union (or AU) summit last week.

Mantashe said if he was in government, he would give notice to get out of the ICC because it was not what was envisioned.

Mantashe labelled the ICC as a tool in the hands of the powerful to destroy the weak adding that it only focused on Africa, Eastern Europe and Middle East.

The South African government said it had granted legal immunity to Bashir, along with all delegates attending the AU summit.

Meanhwile, Zuma is due to answer questions on Bashir's departure in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

The European Union (or EU) warned Burundi that it might impose sanctions on those responsible for violence and consider other steps against the aid-reliant nation. Burundi has been plunged into turmoil by the president's plan to run for a third term.

President Pierre Nkurunziza's opponents say his bid for another five years in office was unconstitutional, while he cites a court ruling that found he could run.

It was the worst political crisis since Burundi emerged from ethnically fuelled civil war in 2005. The unrest has worried a region with a history of ethnic conflict, particularly next door Rwanda, where there was a genocide in 1994.

"The EU was determined to adopt, if necessary, targeted restrictive measures against those whose actions might have led or might lead to acts of violence and repression and serious human rights violations," EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg said in a statement.

The EU funds about half the annual budget of Burundi, one of the world's poorest nations.

The EU’s demands, echoing those of African states, included ensuring that the media operates freely and ensuring a fair vote after several independent radio stations were shut. 

Freight logistics group Transnet has secured a R2.8-billion loan from Germany’s KfW Development Bank to fund part of its 1 064 locomotives acquisition programme. 

Transnet would use the proceeds to fund the acquisition of 240 electric locomotives to be built in cooperation with Bombardier Transportation at Transnet’s manufacturing facilities in Durban.

Transnet acting CEO Siyabonga Gama and KfW head of infrastructure in Southern Africa Dr Jan Martin Witte signed the agreement on Monday.

Transnet said the agreement was evidence of their focus on agility and innovation in raising the required funding to execute its R336-billion rolling seven-year infrastructure investment programme – the Market Demand Strategy.

The loan would mature in 15 years, with a five-year grace period in which Transnet would only pay interest.

In line with the company’s currency risk mitigation policy, the agreement was negotiated in rand terms and, therefore, had no currency risk. The cost of the loan was also in line with the company’s average cost of debt.

Also making headlines:

President Jacob Zuma says in court papers that the corruption case and Democratic Alliance’s review of the spy tapes are both politically motivated. 

Saxen van Coller‚ the CEO of Dube TradePort‚ has been sacked from her R2.5-million-a-year job for failing to disclose previous criminal offences.

Ethiopia declares an election sweep for the ruling party, but critics cry foul.

South Sudan’s Riek Machar welcomes African Union attempts to end the 19-month civil war.

The European Union will use drones and submarines in an operation against migrant smugglers.

And, the United Kingdom's Investigatory Powers Tribunal has found that South Africa's Legal Resources Centre's communications were subjected to unlawful interference by the British government.

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.